Talk About Las Vegas With Ira

I met Larry King ten years ago in the elevator of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (ironically the same hospital where he died on January 23). He was down-to-earth and accepted my spontaneous invitation to appear on my radio show (then called Lunchtime With Ira). He had an upcoming performance at The Mirage in Las Vegas, part of a tour across America as part of his post-CNN career. In this episode, King was charming, curious, complimentary and direct (asking me if I was coming to see the show, which I did).The broadcasting icon talks about his new act; his unprecedented 25- year CNN career; the classic story about getting Frank Sinatra to appear on his show for the first time; the importance of luck; his unique interviewing style; his curiosity as a “why” guy; his 16th book (“Truth Be Told”), which he called his “goodbye book”; his fight with prostate cancer and his decision to get radiation treatment (and his occasional second thoughts about it); and the most significant people he interviewed, including the one h

This week, Ira spoke with Deana Martin, who has been performing during the pandemic in her Deana Martin LIVE! online shows for 45 consecutive weeks. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Martin talks about early memories of Las Vegas; adapting to performing during COVID; her global connection with fans online, including taking requests and, as a result, learning 50 new songs; recording one of her albums in the legendary Studio A at Capitol Records, the same studio where her dad, Dean Martin, performed; and her secret for successfully navigating show business and establishing her own performing persona.

On March 2, 1999, Ira spoke with Adelson prior to the opening of the Venetian Resort. This was the first time he appeared on a talk radio show. The program (then called Las Vegas Notebook) aired live on KDWN radio. Adelson talks about  his battles with the Culinary Union and government officials; the property’s sidewalk controversy;  his belief that he was forced into the local political arena;  his decision to go after the high-end market and his vision for its expansion; his doubts about the Las Vegas Monorail; and his belief in the quality of the soon-to-be opened property.

[audio mp3=“https://talkaboutlasvegas.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Al_Mancini_011121.mp3"][/audio] This week, Ira spoke with Al Mancini, who has covered the Las Vegas dining scene for numerous publications since 2003. He currently writes for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Mancini talks about his journey to the culinary world in Las Vegas; why he believes the Vegas dining scene will bounce back after COVID; where the off-Strip restaurant action is heading; how the food and beverage industry impresses him with its innovation during the pandemic; why one of the messages that restaurants should send their customers as they fully reopen is: “We care about you”; and most important of all, what he sees as the future of the buffet.

This week, Ira spoke with actor, comic and writer Bill Dawes, headlining in the Laugh Factory at the Tropicana Las Vegas, January 7-10. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Dawes talks about his early days and his decision to lead a creative life (capped by throwing his brief case in the Hudson River!); writing a successful play and receiving no credit; why comedy has been one of the keys to his success (and the serious side of comedy); how he started a podcast, “The Afterlaugh,” in his backyard; and why he finds success through trying new things.

This week, Ira spoke with Ori Spado, author of “The Accidental Gangster: From Insurance Salesman to Mob Boss of Hollywood.” In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Spado talks about his decision to live a life of crime; why, though he knew the top organized crime figures, he refused to become a “made man”; his reputation as a fixer in Hollywood; some of the famous people he met and befriended in the film business; his connection to Las Vegas; his decision to take a plea deal that sent him to prison; and why he decided to write the book as a message to young people.

[audio mp3=“https://talkaboutlasvegas.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Matt_OBrien_122120.mp3"][/audio] This week, Ira spoke with Matthew O’Brien, author of “Dark Days, Bright Nights, Surviving the Las Vegas Storm Drains,” published by Central Recovery Press. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, O’Brien talks about his decision to write a follow-up to his previous book on the tunnels and drains of Las Vegas, and the people who live there; how he has befriended some of the people who have returned to dealing with life above ground; why he decided to revisit these people and let them tell their stories; why he believes there is a connection between being homeless and being a great storyteller; and what he believes are the solutions to helping the homeless and mental health issues.

This week, Ira spoke with Murray The Magician, who is back performing in the Laugh Factory at the Tropicana Las Vegas, Thursdays through Sundays at 4 p.m. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Murray talks about his magical career and how he developed his look; why he sticks to his motto, “Don’t fool them, entertain them”; why it’s essential for performers (and especially magicians) to adapt to changing times and new practices and principles; who he considered his mentors while starting out in magic; why he’s not afraid of hard work; and why without Vegas, magic wouldn’t have advanced.

This week, Ira spoke with Internationally acclaimed guitarist Ricardo Cobo, who will be performing at the UNLV Performing Arts Center (as part of its "Live from" series Livestreamed from the Artemus Ham Concert Hall) December 11. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Cobo talks about his infatuation with the guitar as a child in Columbia; why he chose to move to the United States to pursue his studies and a musical career; his decision to move from New York to Las Vegas (coincidentally on the day that planes were hitting the World Trade Center) to perform and to teach; why he uses more than one guitar in performance; and how this new way of performing (due to Covid 19, there will be no audience) will affect his approach.

This week, Ira spoke with Richard A. Lertzman, author (along with Lon Davis) of "Deconstructing the Rat Pack: Joey, the Mob, and the Summit, ” published by Prestige Cinema Books. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Lertzman talks about the enduring legacy of “The Summit”; how a well-organized publicity stunt that created a show that lasted 28 days in 1960 continues to fascinate people today; how the show was put together and why the principals (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr) treated it as a business decision; the myth of the shows’ spontaneity; the mob’s influence in Las Vegas and the part it played in the Rat Pack’s formation; why Joey Bishop was chosen to be a part of the Rat Pack; and why he rose and fell in show business.

This week, Ira Sternberg spoke with award-winning comedy magician Fielding West, who not only performs in Las Vegas and around the world, but also is an instructor and keynote speaker. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, West talks about his career in magic; how Las Vegas became his base as a performer; his relationship with Master Magician Lance Burton; the future of magic; the importance of stagecraft and why it takes 1,000 shows to be a professional; and the one thing he learned about show business.

This week, Ira spoke with Justin Martell, author (along with Alanna Wray McDonald) of “Eternal Troubadour: The Improbable Life Of Tiny Tim,” published byJawbone Press.. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Martell talks about Tiny Tim’s contribution to Las Vegas entertainment and pop culture; why the FBI was investigating Tiny Tim’s deal with Caesars Palace; what pop singer opened for him in Las Vegas; why there was no middle ground to people’s reaction to his “act”; and why the author became obsessed with Tiny Tim at an early age and eventually wrote this book.

This week, Ira spoke with Alan Glist and Kathi Glist, producers of Menopause The Musical® and the Bronx Wanderers at Harrah’s Las Vegas. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, the Glists talk about the impact of coronavirus on the entertainment industry; the future of live entertainment in Las Vegas; why Menopause The Musical® is so successful and why they’re still passionate about it after so many years and performances; safety protocols when both shows return to production; and why they decided to move to Las Vegas and then discovered a community beyond the Strip.

This week, Ira spoke with Wayne Clingman, author of “The Life and Times of Frank Balistrieri: The Last, Most Powerful Godfather of Milwaukee.” In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Clingman talks about the power and control of Frank Balistrieri in Milwaukee; how he married into a crime family before taking the reins of leadership; the connection between the Milwaukee Mob and Las Vegas; the role of skimming from the casinos as a major source of revenue; how the feds got Balistrieri, initially through tax evasion; and the end of mob control of the Stardust and Fremont.

This week, Ira spoke with Larry Gragg, author of “Becoming America’s Playground, Las Vegas in the 1950s.” In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Gragg talks about the confluence of events that propelled Las Vegas into the consciousness of America; why local leaders and institutions coalesced around the idea of making Las Vegas a tourist destination; how entertainment was the coin of the realm for competition among resorts; and the three people he thinks were responsible for setting Las Vegas on the road to success in those years.

This week, Ira spoke with Jonathan Jossel, CEO of the Plaza Hotel & Casino. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Jossel talks about his unique journey from London to Las Vegas; how he fell in love with Downtown Las Vegas; how the area has changed over the years and the future of downtown development; his podcast, the development of the area and the future of Downtown Las Vegas; how the Plaza has differentiated itself from the competition; why he started his Plaza podcast, “On the Corner of Main Street “; and why the resort has Pickleball courts!

This week, Ira spoke with former New York Times Editor and Time Magazine Reporter Michael Cannell, author of the new book, “A Brotherhood Betrayed: The Man Behind the Rise and Fall of Murder, Inc.," published by Minotaur Books. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Cannell talks about the formation of The Commission, which was the corporate structure of organized crime and integrated disparate criminal gangs; the creation of Murder, Inc. that enforced the commission’s edicts; the incredible turnabout by the mob’s chief enforcer, who agreed to testify against the men who sanctioned the killing of witnesses, including the mob’s own soldiers; the hazy line between law enforcement and criminals; and the impact of organized crime on the formation of Las Vegas.

This week, Ira spoke with David G. Schwartz, author of “At the Sands: The Casino That Shaped Classic Las Vegas, Brought the Rat Pack Together, and Went Out With a Bang.” In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Schwartz talks about the impact of the Sands on past and present Las Vegas; its mob connection; the unique nature of its entertainment and showroom; some of the key people who controlled the resort and its operations; and why it was instrumental in promoting Las Vegas as well as itself.

This week, Ira spoke with country artist EmiSunshine, whose latest album is “Family Wars.” In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, EmiSunshine talks about her early start in music (she’s 16 now); the influence of her family in her songwriting and performing career; what’s it’s like to perform at the Grand Ole Opry; the mix of old and new country music that impacts her musical style; riding in Elvis Presley’s car; and the possibility of performing in Las Vegas.